1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a fuel system for a marine propulsion device and, more particularly, to a unitary fuel distribution member having a plurality of passages formed therein and having a pressure regulator attached thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of fuel systems for internal combustion engines are well known to those skilled in the art. Typically, fuel is drawn from a fuel tank by a pump and provided, under pressure, to a series of components which can include a fuel cooler, an electric pump, a filter, and a pressure regulator. In certain types of internal combustion engines, such as those with fuel injectors, the pressurized fuel is provided to one or more fuel rails that distribute the fuel to the fuel injectors. In some cases, various components have been combined together in unitary structures in an effort to reduce the required space necessary for the components and also to reduce the number of conduits necessary to connect various components in fluid communication with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,167, which issued to Brandt et al on Jan. 7, 1992, describes a fuel filter and pressure regulator system apparatus. A combination fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter apparatus for a vehicle fuel system has a fuel supply tank with a fuel pump therein for pumping fuel to a fuel supply rail having fuel injectors attached thereto. A fuel filter is operably disposed between an inlet supply tube and a fluid outlet tube for filtering impurities from fuel passing therethrough. A valve in fluid communication with the inlet supply tube is provided with a regulator for causing flow to be short circuited back into the fuel supply tank when the pressure in the fluid outlet exceeds a predetermined level. The valve is biased to a closed position and will remain closed as long as the pressure on the clean side of the filter is below the predetermined pressure whereby all of the fuel in the inlet supply tube will pass through the filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,147, which issued to Hiraiwa et al on Aug. 13, 2002, describes a fuel feed device and fuel pressure regulator. Mounted on the upper surface of the cover portion of a fuel supplying apparatus to be mounted to an opening portion of a fuel tank is a fuel pressure regulator which contains a fuel pressure detector portion constituted by a diaphragm portion detecting a pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump and a current control portion for analogue-controlling the current flowing through the fuel pump by a signal from the fuel pressure detector portion. As a result, the fuel pump is set to pump an amount of the fuel corresponding to that required by the injector mounted to the engine, so that the current consumption of the fuel pump is reduced and the operating noise is lowered.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,292, which issued to Dell et al on Oct. 23, 2001, describes a fuel filter with internal pressure regulator. A fuel filter and pressure regulator assembly includes a housing, an inlet tube, and outlet and return tube each made of stainless steel. An annular filter element is disposed within the housing and abuts at one end a pressure regulator element which is mounted within an O-ring retainer that is fixed within the housing. A resilient device, such as a wave washer or O-ring, is compressed as the assembly is assembled. In operation, fuel flows in through an inlet tube which is radially offset at a first end of the housing and into an annular space around the annular filter element. The fuel then flows through the filter media and the filter element and out of the outlet tube which is aligned with a hollow core of the filter media. If fuel pressure is too high, the fuel then flows through the pressure regulator, out of the return tube and back to the fuel tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,318, which issued to Brandt on Dec. 17, 1996, describes a modular fuel filter and pressure regulator apparatus. The combination fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter apparatus is intended for use with a vehicle fuel system. The pressure regulator telescopes into the fuel filter and the two parts are separable and independently replaceable. The fuel filter is operably disposed between an inlet supply tube and an outlet tube for filtering impurities from fuel passing therethrough. A valve in fluid communication with the inlet tube is provided with a regulator for causing flow to be short circuited back into the supply tank when the pressure in the fuel outlet exceeds a predetermined level. The valve is biased to a closed position and will remain closed when the pressure on the clean side of the filter is below the predetermined pressure whereby all of the fuel in the inlet tube will pass through the filter when the pressure in the fluid outlet is below the predetermined pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,835, which issued to Kochsmeier on Aug. 7, 2001, describes a pressure-regulating arrangement. In a pressure-regulating arrangement between a pump and a load, in particular between a fuel pump and an internal combustion engine, in which, if the flow from the pump exceeds a predetermined pressure, a cutoff quantity is branched off and fed back into a storage container. According to the invention the pressure regulator, together with the cutoff line, is combined with a filter in one structural unit. All three connections are preferably arranged on the same side of a common housing. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, all three connections are arranged coaxially with one another, so that if an appropriate connecting piece is used, installation faults can be ruled out.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,652, which issued to Brandt on Aug. 8, 2000, describes a quick connect fuel filter and regulator. A modular pressure regulator/filter is disclosed. The fuel filter is adapted to be attached to a fuel delivery system of an internal combustion engine and the housing thereof has a projecting wall on the filter housing adjacent to a female opening in the fuel filter housing. This projecting wall has at least one slot therein. A clip is provided and includes a disc portion with a central opening therein for selectively receiving a male outlet conduit from the pressure regulator. A clip projection, which is integral with and movably attached to the disc portion, is adapted to be selectively received into the slot in the projecting wall whereby the clip is held from moving away from the projecting wall. An annular projection of the pressure regulator housing is disposed between the disc portion and the clip projection when the clip projection is in the first position thereof for holding the pressure regulator housing in the clip. The clip therefore is used to selectively hold the pressure regulator housing and the filter housing together or allow them to be quickly and easily separated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,143, which issued to Schwegler et al on Apr. 10, 2001, describes a liquid filter with integral pressure regulator. The filter with a built-in pressure regulator is disclosed. It is intended to be used with fuel, in which the pressure regulator with its diaphragm is mounted on the inside of a cap that has the inflow connector and the tank connector. The diaphragm, which experiences a flow on its inside, is acted upon by the pressure of the fuel on the clean side of the filter element, and the flow through the filter element is radially from the outside inward. Integrating the pressure regulator in the cap enables a simple, compact, economical design of the liquid lifter, through whose valve in the pressure regulator only cleaned fuel flows.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,287, which issued to Wickman et al on Jun. 26, 2001, describes a fuel delivery system for a marine engine. A fuel pump is housed within the structure of a portable fuel tank. The inlet of the pump is located in the lower portion of the tank and an outlet of the pump is connectable in fluid communication with a flexible conduit. An opposite end of the flexible conduit is connectable in fluid communication with the fuel system of an outboard motor. A water sensor and a fuel level sensor can be provided in conjunction with the pump and attached to the pump in certain embodiments. A fuel pressure regulator is connected in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump and also located within the structure of the portable fuel tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,603, which issued to Wickman et al on Mar. 4, 2003, discloses a fuel delivery system for a marine propulsion device. A fuel system for a marine propulsion system includes a reservoir that defines a cavity in which first and second fuel pumps are disposed. The first fuel pump is a lift pump which draws fuel from a fuel tank and pumps the fuel into the cavity of the reservoir. The second fuel pump is a high pressure pump which draws fuel from the cavity and pumps the fuel at a higher pressure to a fuel rail of an engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,470, which issued to Clarkson et al on Jan. 9, 2001, discloses a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine. The fuel system provides first and second conduits that draw fuel from first and second positions, or locations, within a fuel reservoir. If water exists in the fuel reservoir, the second position is selected to be lower in the fuel reservoir than the first position so that accumulated water will be drawn through the second conduit under certain conditions, such as when the water is operating at a speed above the minimum threshold. The fuel reservoir can be a fuel tank or auxiliary fuel tank of a vehicle or watercraft or, alternatively, it can be the housing of a fuel/water separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,962, which issued to Kirk on May 2, 2000, discloses a fuel system for an internal combustion engine. A fuel system uses a vacuum source to draw fuel from a fuel tank into a fuel reservoir. By avoiding the need for a fuel tank to pump fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel reservoir, a common incidence of vapor lock is prevented. The vacuum is provided by a crankcase of a compressor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,206, which issued to White et al on Oct. 12, 1999, discloses a fuel supply cooling system for an internal combustion engine. The system is provided with a heat exchanger disposed in a generally planer cavity within a base. A manifold attaches to the base and contains the generally planer cavity. A heat exchanger, which comprises a fuel conduit, is disposed within the cavity. As fuel flows from a fuel pump to a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, it passes through the fuel conduit which is bathed in a flow of coolant. Some of the fuel flows directly from the fuel conduit to the fuel injection system, but excess fuel flows through a pressure regulator and a filter before being passed through a pump again to recirculates through the fuel conduit of the cooler. The quantity of fuel stored within the volume of the fuel supply system is significantly reduced because of the location of the various components and the fact that the components, such as the filter, regulator, and pump are attached directly to the base of the system. This reduces the need for interconnecting tubing or hoses and the resulting reduced amount of fuel stored in the system can be cooled much more rapidly when the engine is restarted.
Many different types of fuel systems are well known to those skilled in the art. These fuel systems typically incorporate various types of heat exchangers, filters, regulators, pumps, and fuel rails. In addition, numerous hoses and other conduits are necessary to conduct fuel between these components of the fuel system. The fuel-related components and their associated conduits and hoses require space. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a system could be provided that significantly reduces the number of hoses and conduits necessary for the fuel system and, in addition, which conveniently and efficiently provides a single modular device which includes a fuel distribution network of conduits, a fuel filter, and a pressure regulator that was easily connectable to other components of the fuel system.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.